Josh Ariah Interview in Bluff

xxx · #1 02-11-2005, 08:10 PM

So I was wondering from the WSOP footage last year if Josh was a poker player who liked to gamble, or a gambler who was a good poker player.

In the article he describes how he got broke at the 2002 WSOP, then came home and got a loan repayment (and more money as a loan) from a korean friend Woo. Then he bet the whole amount on Woo making 70/100 free throws (he made it with none to spare). Then he used his 100bb bankroll that night to play at a 15-30 limit game helped him get his stake back.

Looks like he is a gambler at heart who happens to be great at poker.

slickpoppa · #2 02-11-2005, 08:15 PM

It doesn't surprise me that Josh is not the most intelligent person when it comes to managing his bankroll. He has stated a couple of times that he thinks that tournament poker is more profitable than side games, which is just plain wrong.

Autocratic · #3 02-11-2005, 08:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It doesn't surprise me that Josh is not the most intelligent person when it comes to managing his bankroll. He has stated a couple of times that he thinks that tournament poker is more profitable than side games, which is just plain wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it's easy to see how someone who has made the kind of money he has in tournaments recently might think that.

Walter Pullis · #4 02-11-2005, 09:01 PM

I'd like to expand on this question of making money by playing
tournaments vs ring games. I'll talk about myself here. I have
a "day job" and only play tournaments. Here I know exactly how much I can lose. I don't have any risk that I will go broke some night while I am on "tilt". No risk of losing big money over a lifetime of play has to be a good thing.

A_C_Slater · #5 02-11-2005, 10:43 PM

You have the story wrong. I read this magazine at the poker room when waiting for a table (they have complimentary free copies) and Woo didn't have to make 70 of 100 free throws. The bet was 70 out of 100 three pointers! And Arieh bet all the money he had in the world on this insane proposition.

Note: Michael Jordan does not have a 70% 3 point percentage.

Beerfund · #6 02-11-2005, 10:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You have the story wrong. I read this magazine at the poker room when waiting for a table (they have complimentary free copies) and Woo didn't have to make 70 of 100 free throws. The bet was 70 out of 100 three pointers! And Arieh bet all the money he had in the world on this insane proposition.

Note: Michael Jordan does not have a 70% 3 point percentage.

[/ QUOTE ]

A three point % in the NBA isn't the same as just casually shooting 3 pointers. There were 3 or 4 guys on my HS team that could make 70 out of 100.

ZBTHorton · #7 02-11-2005, 10:58 PM

Just as a point of reference.

If you are a great tourney player, and a HORRIBLE cash game player...(as some describe Phil Hellmuth to be)

Tourneys are much more profitable than cash games.

A_C_Slater · #8 02-11-2005, 11:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You have the story wrong. I read this magazine at the poker room when waiting for a table (they have complimentary free copies) and Woo didn't have to make 70 of 100 free throws. The bet was 70 out of 100 three pointers! And Arieh bet all the money he had in the world on this insane proposition.

Note: Michael Jordan does not have a 70% 3 point percentage.

[/ QUOTE ]

A three point % in the NBA isn't the same as just casually shooting 3 pointers. There were 3 or 4 guys on my HS team that could make 70 out of 100.

[/ QUOTE ]

Casually shooting? The guy wagered $35,000 that he could do it. And he had to go around town collecting money owed to him before he could put that kind of cash up.

I understand what you mean though (pressure with blockers, shot clock, etc.)

Did you actually see these HS kids make 70 out of 100, or was this just a claim?

xxx · #9 02-11-2005, 11:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You have the story wrong. I read this magazine at the poker room when waiting for a table (they have complimentary free copies) and Woo didn't have to make 70 of 100 free throws. The bet was 70 out of 100 three pointers! And Arieh bet all the money he had in the world on this insane proposition.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy cow! I was reading it at Borders while my wife was in line to pay. That makes it even more crazy. Woo was 5'5'' and had never played organized ball.

TXTiger · #10 02-12-2005, 05:16 AM

A. Indeed he did. Ted St. Martin, 67, graduated from Naches Valley High School near Yakima in 1954. For the past 30 years, he has been a professional free-throw shooter, giving clinics and exhibitions throughout the country.

St. Martin broke his world record of 2,036 consecutive free throws on April 26, 1996 when he made 5,221 consecutive shots while giving a clinic at his home outside Jacksonville, Fla.

"I had a real home-court advantage that day," he said, joking. "The students and their parents wanted to see me shoot until I missed and that's how the record happened."

and just for kicks

The longest time to spin a regulation basketball on one finger, while maintaining the spin, is 3 hr 59 min by Zhao Guang (China) on January 29, 2003, in Shenyang, China. In the warm-ups for his attempt, taxi-driver Zhao was often able to spin the basketball for up to 6 hours!
Zhao can spin the ball on any of his fingers, although he swapped between his thumb and index finger in his record-breaking attempt. He can also perform the skill blindfolded!

People can do some crazy things.